URI is arming its campus police this spring in the wake of a false alarm. It’s the last large, four-year state public university to do so, but will it make the campus safer?

April 3, 2015

There were 350 witnesses to the events of April 4, 2013, but nobody knows what happened. According to news accounts, at 11:19, in Room 217 of the Chafee Social Science Center, a man standing outside the door, or perhaps somewhere in the lecture hall, said: “I’m a good guy and I have a gun,” or “You’re a nice guy! You’re…

Publisher John Palumbo Drinks in the Local Bar Scene

April 1, 2015

A dog walks into a bar and orders a drink. He says to the bartender, “What are you staring at?” The bartender replies, “I was just surprised to see a dog in here drinking a martini.” The dog says, “At these prices, I’m not surprised.” Associate editor Jamie Coelho had the enviable task of leading five hearty souls in search…

April letters

April 1, 2015

One Bean Short Your February issue listed eight recommended coffee locations . We have not visited any of them; we simply tank up on the best as often as possible: the Coffee Exchange on Wickenden Street. This is a quintessential coffeehouse, from roasting to brewing to serving. Their tobe with a shot of espresso along with an almond croissant is…

5 Fun Facts About BreakTime Bowl and Bar

April 1, 2015

An original 1920s duckpin bowling alley has been revived inside Pawtucket’s Hope Artiste Village, maintaining much of the historic look and feel including hand-set pins. BreakTime Bowl and Bar is attracting a new audience in the space that was built during the labor movement for workers at the Hope Webbing Mill. Here are five fun facts: 1. It’s called BreakTime…

Fred and Friends Creates Gotcha Gadgets

April 1, 2015

Fred and Friends creates laugh-out-loud funny and functional gadgets. For example: a coffee mug with a handle sporting a fake wedding band you can slip your ring finger through. “Look ma! We got hitched!” The company was started by Brown graduate Fred Roses, and its team of designers is based in Rhode Island with partners around the globe. So why…

A Burrillville Couple Creates a Minimalist Retreat

March 27, 2015

Dan and Jess Sullivan live in a tiny house — 128 square feet, to be exact. The couple started building the wooden structure on wheels about two years ago, constructing a flat roof and elevated shelves to make the most of the space, nicknamed the Pod. “It has this illusion that it’s much roomier,” says Jess Sullivan. “People joke about…

Two nature lovers create a sanctuary in Little Compton.

March 23, 2015

It must have been fate. Pining for a bucolic address, the couple happened to recall a long ago trip they’d taken with friends. Forgotten images of stone walls and quiet pastures resurfaced and before they knew it, they were the proud owners of an 1810 house, one of the area’s oldest homes, in one of the most scenic spots imaginable….